KR20160086715A - Wearable apparatus for measuring biological information and method for measuring biological information using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A wearable biometric data measuring device includes: a biometric signal measurement unit which measures and analyzes biometric signals of an examination target; and a posture detection unit which detects the posture of the examination target who wears the wearable biometric data measuring device and calculates compensation factors for the measured biometric signals based on the detected posture. By reflecting the calculated compensation factors calculated by the posture detection unit and analyzing the biometric data of the examination target, the present invention can improve accuracy of the analysis result and enhance user convenience in taking postures for the measurement.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus and a method for measuring the same,

The present disclosure relates to a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus and a biometric information measuring method using the same.

With the development of medical and life expectancy, interest in health care is increasing. In this regard, interest in medical devices is also increasing. This has been extended not only to various medical devices used in hospitals and inspection institutions but also to small and medium medical devices provided in public institutions, small medical devices and health care devices that individuals can carry or carry.

The body composition measuring device, which is a type of healthcare device, measures body composition using bio electrical impedance analysis (BIA). According to the bioelectrical impedance analysis method, the human body is regarded as a combination of impedances, and a current is flowed through the human body. The impedance of the human body is measured by measuring the voltage by the current, and the moisture, protein, And the like can be analyzed.

In addition, a cuff-less type blood pressure monitor that is compact and portable, compared to a bulky cuff-type blood pressure monitor, is widely used. The photoplethysmography (PPG) can be measured optically and the blood pressure can be analyzed from it.

A wearable biometric information measuring apparatus and a biometric information measuring method using the same are provided.

A wearable bio-information measuring device according to one type includes a bio-signal measuring unit for measuring and analyzing a bio-signal of a subject; And an attitude detection unit for detecting the attitude of the subject wearing the wearable bio-information measuring device and calculating a correction factor for the measured bio-signal from the detected attitude.

The attitude detecting unit has a circuit configuration for measuring RF response characteristics and can detect the user's attitude from the RF response characteristics that vary depending on the relative position between the subject wearing the wearable device and the antenna in the circuit configuration.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus may further include a wireless communication unit, and the posture detecting unit may share at least a part of circuit elements constituting the wireless communication unit.

Alternatively, the posture detecting section may include a body impedance measuring circuit, so that the posture of the user can be detected from the body impedance of the subject wearing the wearable device.

The bio-signal measuring unit includes a first input electrode and a first output electrode arranged to be able to contact one wrist of the subject; A second input electrode and a second output electrode arranged so that a body part of the other wrist of the subject can be contacted; A measuring unit for applying a current to the first and second input electrodes and measuring a body impedance of the subject by detecting a voltage from the first and second output electrodes; And an analysis unit for analyzing the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor calculated by the posture detection unit to the body impedance measured by the measurement unit.

The posture detecting unit can detect, as the measurement posture, the degree to which both arms of the subject are bent and / or the degree to which both arms of the subject are spaced apart from the body.

The posture detecting section includes a circuit configuration for measuring the RF response characteristic, and can detect the measurement posture of the subject from the RF response characteristic that varies depending on the relative position of the antenna in the circuit configuration with respect to the subject.

The RF response characteristic may be at least one of a resonance frequency, a resonance bandwidth, a reflected wave power, an impedance, and an antenna received signal strength.

The posture detecting unit can use the stored data of the degree of change of the RF response characteristic according to the measurement posture of the test object and compare the measured RF response characteristics with the data to detect the measurement posture of the test object.

The posture detecting unit may use the stored data of the correction factor corresponding to the measurement posture of the test object, and may calculate the correction factor by comparing the detected measurement posture with the data.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus may further include a wireless communication unit, and the posture detecting unit may share at least a part of circuit elements constituting the wireless communication unit.

The attitude detecting unit may further include one or more RF terminals that can be worn on other parts of the body other than the wrist on which the wearable bio-information measuring device is worn.

The antenna may be an antenna having a circular or elliptical radiation pattern.

The antenna may be configured to adjust the radiation pattern.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus may further include an input unit to which at least one of the body weight, the age, the sex, and the measurement position of the subject is input.

Wherein the posture detecting unit receives the information input about the measurement posture of the test subject and compares the input measurement posture with the data using the stored data of the correction factor corresponding to the measurement posture of the test subject to calculate the correction factor can do.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus may further include a display unit for displaying information on a body composition of the subject analyzed by the analysis unit.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus may further include a communication unit for transmitting information on the body composition analyzed by the analyzing unit to an external device.

The bio-signal measuring unit may measure and analyze a bio-signal related to the blood pressure of the subject.

The body composition measuring method according to one type of the present invention is a body composition measuring method using the above-described wrist type body composition measuring apparatus, wherein the body wears the wearable living body information measuring device on one wrist, Contacting the body part of the other wrist; Measuring a body impedance of the subject by applying a current to the first and second input electrodes and detecting a voltage from the first and second output electrodes; Detecting a measurement posture of the subject and calculating a correction factor corresponding thereto; And analyzing the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor to the body impedance measured by the measurement unit.

The body composition measuring method may further include checking the contact state of the subject with the first and second input electrodes and the first and second output electrodes of the wearable bio-information measuring device.

The step of measuring the body impedance may be performed after the step of detecting the measurement posture of the body and calculating the correction factor. Then, after the step of measuring the body impedance, a step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating a correction factor may be additionally performed.

Alternatively, the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor may be performed after the step of measuring the body impedance.

The step of measuring the body impedance and the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor may be repeated two or more times, respectively.

The step of measuring the body impedance and the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor may be performed simultaneously.

The wearable biometric information measuring device detects the measurement posture of the subject and utilizes it for analyzing the biometric information, so that the accuracy of the biometric information measurement can be enhanced.

In addition, since a specific posture is not required for the subject during measurement, user convenience is increased.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to an embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a measurement unit employed in the wearable biometric information measurement apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the external appearance of the wearable bio-information measuring device according to the embodiment, respectively showing the outer side surface and the inner side surface of the strap.
FIG. 4 shows an example of the contact form between the electrode and the body during body composition measurement using the wearable bio-information measuring device according to the embodiment.
Fig. 5 schematically shows an equivalent circuit when the body and the electrode are in contact as shown in Fig.
6A to 6D show examples of various specific attitudes that the subject can take in body composition measurement using the wearable bio-information measuring device according to the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a posture detecting unit employed in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to the embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a graph showing an example in which the RF response characteristic in the attitude detecting unit changes according to the measurement attitude of the inspected object.
FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to another embodiment.
10 illustrates an exemplary circuit configuration that may be employed in the RF response characteristic measurement circuit of FIG.
11 shows an exemplary circuit configuration that may be employed in the RF response characteristic measuring circuit of Fig.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a posture detecting unit that can be employed in a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to another embodiment.
13 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to the embodiment.
14 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to another embodiment.
15 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to another embodiment.
16 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to another embodiment.
17 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to another embodiment.
18 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements, and the size of each element in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. On the other hand, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative, and various modifications are possible from these embodiments.

In the following, what is referred to as "upper" or "upper"

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by terms. Terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

Also, in this specification, the term " part " may be a hardware component such as a processor or a circuit, and / or a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a measuring unit 140 employed in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 of FIG. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the external appearance of the wearable bio-information measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, and show the outer side and the inner side of the strap, respectively.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 includes first and second input electrodes 110 and 125 arranged to be in contact with the body of the subject, first and second output electrodes 115 and 120, A measuring unit 140 for applying a current to the first and second input electrodes 110 and 125 and detecting the voltage from the first and second output electrodes 115 and 120 to measure the body impedance of the subject, A posture detecting unit 150 for detecting a measurement posture of the specimen and calculating a correction factor corresponding to the measurement posture, a correction unit for correcting the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor calculated by the posture detecting unit 150 on the body impedance measured by the measuring unit 140 And an analyzing unit 160 for analyzing the image.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 may further include a memory 165, an input unit 170, a display unit 175, and a communication unit 180.

The wearable bio-information measuring apparatus 100 includes a main body MB and a strap ST. In the figure, the first and second input electrodes 110 and 125, the first and second output electrodes 115 and 115 The input unit 170 and the communication unit 180 are provided on the main body MB of the strap ST by the measuring unit 140, the posture detecting unit 150, the analyzing unit 160, the input unit 170, The present invention is not limited thereto.

The measuring unit 140 may include a current providing unit 142, a voltage detecting unit 144, and an impedance calculating unit 146, as shown in FIG. The voltage detector 144 may include an operational amplifier for amplifying a voltage between the first output electrode 115 and the second output electrode 120, and a filter for removing noise. Current is supplied to the first and second input electrodes 110 and 125 by the current providing part 142 and the voltage from the first and second output electrodes 115 and 120 is detected by the voltage detecting part 144 . The impedance calculating section 146 calculates the body impedance from the input current and the detection voltage.

The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 includes a main body MB and a strap ST as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. The strap ST is connected to the main body MB so as to be worn on the wrist of the subject. The first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 are arranged on one of the inner surfaces STb of the two straps ST and the second input electrode 120 and the second input electrode 120 are arranged on the outer surface STa. Two output electrodes 125 may be disposed.

The first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 are connected to the electrodes of the wearable biometric information measuring device 100 which are brought into contact with the wrist of the subject when the wearable biometric information measuring device 100 is worn by the user, to be. The first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 can be disposed at positions where they can contact the wrist of the subject and the arrangement position of the first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 is limited to the inner surface STb of the strap ST Do not. For example, on the inner surface of the main body portion MB.

The second input electrode 120 and the second output electrode 125 are electrodes to which the distal body parts of other wrists that are not worn by the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 are contacted. The second input electrode 120 and the second output electrode 125 may be exposed to the outside of the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 so that the body parts of the other wrist may be in contact with each other. The arrangement position is not limited to the side surface STa. For example, on the outer surface of the main body portion MB.

Although the first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 are shown as facing the second input electrode 120 and the second output electrode 125 respectively, this is illustrative only, It is acceptable. Although the first input electrode 110 and the first output electrode 115 and the second input electrode 120 and the second output electrode 125 are disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strap ST, The present invention is not limited thereto and may be arranged in the other direction, for example, in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the strap ST, or in other directions.

When the body is worn on one wrist and the body of the other wrist is brought into contact with the second input electrode 125 and the second output electrode 120 for body impedance measurement, Can take various poses. The body impedance measured according to this attitude may be varied and will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6A to 6D.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the contact form between the electrode and the body when the body composition is measured using the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an approximate equivalent circuit when the body and the electrode are in contact as shown in FIG. . Figs. 6A to 6D show examples of various attitudes that the subject can take when the subject contacts the electrodes, as shown in Fig.

4, after the user wears the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 on one wrist, the finger of the other hand contacts the second input electrode 125 and the second output electrode 120 can do.

5, current is applied to the first and second input electrodes 110 and 125, that is, the first input electrode 110, the body impedance Zbody, the second input electrode 125, A closed circuit is formed. In this state, by detecting the voltage between the first and second output electrodes 115 and 120, the body impedance Zbody can be calculated and the body composition can be analyzed from the body impedance Zbody.

On the other hand, the body impedance (Zbody) can be measured at different values depending on the measurement posture of the inspected object. 6A to 6D, when the subject wears the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 on one wrist and touches the body part of the other hand with its electrode, the subject can take various postures . For example, the degree to which both arms are bent, and the degree to which both arms are separated from the body may be formed differently for each measurement, for each body.

In the conventional non-wearing type large body composition analyzer, the measurement is performed to guide the measurement in a state in which both arms and legs are extended as a measurement posture in which an error factor can be reduced.

However, in the case of the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 is worn on one wrist and the body of the other hand is placed in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 with both arms extended. It is very inconvenient to contact the electrodes of the electrodes.

In the case of FIG. 6A, both arms are considered to be the most extended position, but they are not only uncomfortable but also have an error factor. The measurement postures shown in Figs. 6B to 6D can be a more comfortable measurement posture, but both posture are bent posture, and the posture has an error factor.

In the present embodiment, the posture detecting unit 150 is introduced so that the body composition can be analyzed by reflecting the error factors. The posture detecting unit 150 detects the elements that can affect the body impedance measurement value, such as the degree of bending of both arms and the degree to which both arms are separated from the body, and also detects the measured body impedance according to the detected measurement posture It is possible to calculate a correction factor to be corrected. More detailed configurations and operations of the posture detecting unit 150 will be described later with reference to Figs. 7 to 12.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the remaining components of the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 will be described.

The analysis unit 160 analyzes the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor calculated by the posture detection unit 150 on the measured body impedance of the measurement unit 140. Here, the body component may be body fat, skin characteristics (for example, body water), muscular strength, swelling of the subject, etc. of the subject.

Various calculations used in the measuring unit 140, the posture detecting unit 150 and the analyzing unit 160 may be stored in the memory 160 in a program form and may be executed by a processor (not shown). The processor may be hardware that controls overall function and operation of the wearable biometric information measurement apparatus 100 and may be configured to calculate the impedance in the measurement unit 140 by executing the programs stored in the memory 165, The correction factor calculation and analysis unit 160 can perform the body composition analysis. In addition, the processor can control the measuring unit so as to measure the body impedance and process the analyzed body composition result into a video signal for display on the display unit 175.

The memory 165 may store a program for operation of the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100, data necessary for the program, and the like. The memory 165 is a typical storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, Card).

The memory 165 may store a measurement unit 140, a posture detection unit 150, a program related to an operation to be performed by the analysis unit 160, and the like. In addition, additional data such as elongation, weight, sex, etc. of the subject can be stored.

The input unit 170 and the display unit 175 constitute an interface between the wearable biometric information measurement device 100 and the subject or user.

An input for operating the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 may be received through the input unit 170 and a result of the analyzing unit 160 may be displayed on the display unit 175. [

The input unit 170 may include a button, a keypad, a switch, a dial or a touch interface for the body to operate the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 directly.

The display unit 175 may include an LCD panel, an OLED panel, and the like, and may display information on analyzed analysis results of the body composition image or text. The display unit 175 may be a touch screen capable of both input and output.

In addition, as a user interface, an I / O port for connecting HID (Human Interface Devices) may be provided, and an I / O port for inputting / outputting images may be provided.

The communication unit 180 can perform a function of wirelessly transmitting the analyzed result to another external device. The external device may be, for example, a medical device using the analyzed biometric information, and may be a printer for printing the result, or a display device for displaying an analysis result. But is not limited to, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, a PC, and other mobile or non-mobile computing devices.

The communication unit 180 may be connected to an external device by wire or wirelessly. For example, the communication unit 180 may communicate with an external device via Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, WLAN, Zigbee, IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication, UWB (ultra wideband) communication, Ant + communication WIFI communication method.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of the attitude detecting unit 100 employed in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 8 shows an example in which the RF response characteristic changes according to the measured attitude of the subject. It is a graph that is seen as an enemy.

The posture detecting unit 150 may be configured to analyze the RF response characteristics, detect the measurement posture of the subject, and calculate the correction factor therefrom. The attitude detecting unit 150 may include a circuit configuration for measuring the RF response characteristics. The attitude detecting unit 150 can detect the attitude of the subject from the antenna included in the circuit configuration and the RF response characteristic varying with the relative position of the subject have.

FIG. 8 is a graph simulating a change in resonance characteristics when a body wearing a resonator of 2.5 GHz band is straightened and bended at 90 degrees. FIG. The graph shows that when the arm acting as a dielectric is bent and spread, it affects the resonance characteristics of the resonator worn on the wrist. When the arm is bent, the resonant wavelength band shifts to about 2.36 GHz, and the reflectance increases by about 1.4 dB.

The posture detecting unit 150 may include an RF response measuring circuit 152 and a correction factor calculating unit 154. The body can be regarded as a dielectric with a high dielectric constant, and the electric field formed around it changes depending on the relative arrangement of the body and the antenna. The RF response measurement circuit 152 can detect this change in order to detect the measurement posture of the inspected object. Specifically, characteristics such as resonance frequency, resonance bandwidth, reflected wave power, impedance, antenna received signal strength, and the like can be measured as the RF response. The measured characteristic can be used to detect the measurement attitude of the subject and calculate the correction factor.

The posture detecting unit 150 can use the stored data in which the degree of change of the RF response characteristic is numerically expressed in accordance with the measurement posture of the test object. Such data can be stored in memory 165 in the form of a database of RF responses and measurement attitudes. The measurement posture of the subject can be detected by comparing the measured RF response characteristics with the data. Also, the posture detecting unit 150 can use the stored data of the correction factor according to the measurement posture, and can calculate the correction factor using the stored data. Such data may also be stored in the memory 165. [

1, the wearable bio-information measuring apparatus 100 may further include a wireless communication unit. In this case, at least a part of the circuit elements constituting the wireless communication unit may be shared with the posture detecting unit 150 . For example, an antenna used for Bluetooth communication or the like can be shared, thereby reducing the number of parts and miniaturizing the overall circuit size.

The antenna included in the posture detecting unit 150 may be an antenna having a circular or elliptical radiation pattern. The antenna may also be configured to adjust the radiation pattern. For example, a plurality of antennas and a beam switching circuit having slightly different radiation patterns may be used, and a part of the plurality of antennas may be selectively used to adjust the overall radiation pattern. Alternatively, the radiation characteristics can be varied using a reconfigurable antenna. The change in the radiation characteristic can be adjusted so that it is a radiation pattern suitable for attitude detection. When such an antenna is used, the change of the RF response characteristic depending on the measurement attitude can be more sensitive, and the measurement attitude detection can be more advantageous.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of an apparatus 100 'for measuring wearable biometric information according to another embodiment.

The wearable bio-information measuring device 100 'further includes at least one RF terminal in addition to the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 described above. In the figure, in addition to the RF terminal T1 incorporated in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100, four RF terminals T2 (T3) attached to other wrists and other body parts not wearing the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 ) T4 (T5), which are illustrative, and the number or position is not limited thereto.

By providing a plurality of RF terminals in this way, the measurement posture of the subject can be detected in more detail by utilizing the transmission characteristics between the two RF terminals and the reflection characteristic at each RF terminal.

10 illustrates an exemplary circuit configuration that may be employed in the RF response characteristic measurement circuit of FIG.

The illustrated circuit is a reflected wave power measuring circuit that separates the input power to the antenna and the reflected wave power from the antenna and detects the difference between the two powers by a dual log detector. The detected result may be output as, for example, a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR).

11 shows an exemplary circuit configuration that may be employed in the RF response characteristic measuring circuit of Fig.

The illustrated circuit is a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) circuit, which may be more useful in an arrangement having an additional RF terminal, for example, as shown in FIG.

The field strength receiver circuit is a circuit usually provided in a wireless communication device. When the wearable bio-information measurement device 100 is applied to a wireless communication device in the form of a smart watch, It is possible.

12 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a posture detecting unit 150 'that can be employed in a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to another embodiment.

The wearable bio-information measuring device of the present embodiment has a configuration for body impedance measurement, that is, the first and second input electrodes 110 and 125 of the wearable bio-information measuring device 100 of FIG. 1, The electrodes 115 and 120, and the measuring unit 140 are used to detect the measurement position of the subject. That is, the configuration of the posture detecting unit 150 'differs from that of the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 100 of FIG.

As described above, the body impedance is measured at a different value according to the measurement posture as shown in Figs. 6A to 6D. Therefore, the relationship between the body impedance measurement value and the measurement posture can be derived by measuring the body impedance while changing the measurement posture in a state where a reference to the body and the body impedance is determined. In addition, the result thus obtained can be stored in the memory in the form of a numerical value in the form of a relationship between the measurement posture and the correction factor, and the posture detecting unit 150 'can utilize this.

The posture detecting unit 150 'may include a measurement posture information receiving unit 156 and a correction factor calculating unit 158. The measurement posture of the subject can be input through the input unit 170 and the input information is transmitted to the measurement posture information reception unit 156. [ The correction element calculating section 158 can calculate the correction factor for the measurement posture inputted from the data stored in the memory 165. [

13 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a body composition measurement method according to the embodiment.

For body composition measurement, the subject wears the wearable bio-information measuring device on the left or right wrist.

In the measurement mode selection step (S1), the height, weight, etc. of the subject can be input. In addition, the measurement posture may be input, if necessary, depending on the correction factor calculation method. The measurement posture can be input in a form of selecting from among a plurality of menu items made by appropriately combining, for example, the degree of bending of both arms or the degree of separation from the body.

Next, the wearable bio-information measuring device is worn on the left-hand or right-hand wrist, and the body of the hand not wearing the device is contacted with the second input electrode and the second output electrode (S2). Here, the second input electrode and the second output electrode are electrodes that are not in contact with the wrist of the wearer. For example, the second input electrode 125 and the second input electrode of the wearable bio- And may be a second output electrode 120.

The order of execution of the steps S1 and S2 is an exemplary one, and may be changed to wear measurement of the wearable bio-information measuring device on one wrist, followed by selection of a measurement mode and electrode contact of the other hand.

Next, whether or not the closed circuit is formed is confirmed (S3), and the body impedance is measured (S4). These steps can be performed by inputting current to the input electrodes and detecting the voltage through the output electrodes. If the electrodes and the body are not in good contact, a closed circuit is not formed and meaningful measurements are not detected. In this case, after the contact state is checked, the measurement is performed again.

Next, the measurement posture is detected and the correction factor is calculated (S5).

This step can be performed in such a manner that the RF response characteristic is measured and the correction factor is calculated according to the configuration illustrated in FIG. Alternatively, according to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 12, the correction factors stored for each measurement attitude may be compared with the input measurement attitude to calculate the corresponding correction factors.

Steps S4 and S5 may be performed in a reversed order.

Next, the body composition is analyzed (S6) by reflecting the correction factor calculated for the measured body impedance.

The analyzed body composition result is output in the form of an image or text (S7). The result output may be displayed on a display unit provided in the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus, or may be transmitted to another apparatus, displayed on a display unit provided in the apparatus, or output to a printer.

14 to 17 are flowcharts schematically illustrating methods of measuring body composition according to another embodiment. The flowcharts shown in Figs. 13A and 13B show the steps of confirming whether a closed circuit is formed (S3), measuring a body impedance (S4), measuring attitude detection, and calculating a correction factor (S5) .

Referring to FIG. 14, after confirming whether a closed circuit is formed (S3), a measurement attitude detection and correction factor calculation step S5 is first performed, and then a body impedance measurement step S4 is performed. Body composition is analyzed from the correction factor CF1 calculated in the measurement posture detection and correction factor calculation step S5 and the body impedance Z1 measured in the body impedance measurement step S4.

Referring to FIG. 15, after the closed circuit is formed (S3), the body impedance measurement step S4 and the measurement posture detection and correction element calculation step S5 may be alternately repeated two or more times, respectively. This is for the purpose of considering that the measurement posture of the subject changes during the measurement. The body composition can be analyzed from the body impedance Z2 (Z3) (Z4) (Z5) measured in each step and the calculated elements CF2 (CF3) (CF4). The same value may be included in the body impedance Z2 (Z3) (Z4) (Z5) depending on the measurement attitude of the subject, and the same value may be included in the correction factors CF2, CF3, and CF4 . In this case, body composition may be analyzed using only other values.

Referring to FIG. 16, after confirming whether a closed circuit is formed (S3), a measurement attitude detection and correction factor calculation step S5 is performed, and then a body impedance measurement step S4 is performed. In addition, a measurement attitude detection and correction factor calculation step S5 is performed. The body composition can be analyzed using the calculated correction factor CF5 (CF6) and the measured body impedance Z6. When the measurement posture of the subject is well maintained during measurement and the two correction factors CF5 and CF6 are the same, any one of them can be used for body composition analysis.

Referring to FIG. 17, after the closed circuit is formed (S3), the body impedance measurement step S4 is performed, and then the measurement posture detection and correction element calculation step S5 is performed. The body composition can be analyzed using the calculated correction factor CF7 and the measured body impedance Z7.

Further, as another modification, step (S4) of measuring the body impedance and step (S5) of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor may be performed simultaneously. Here, being performed simultaneously does not mean that the start and end of the steps are completely in agreement, and means that the steps of the steps may partially overlap in time.

In the above description, the measurement posture detection and the calculation of the correction factor are applied to the body composition measuring apparatus for measuring the body impedance by measuring the body impedance, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Various types of wearable biometric information measuring apparatuses may be provided with the configuration of the above-described function of the posture detecting unit.

18 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment. The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 includes a living body signal measuring section 1400 for measuring and analyzing a living body signal of a subject, and a wearable living body information measuring apparatus 1400 for detecting the attitude of the subject wearing the wearable living body information measuring apparatus, And a posture detecting unit 1500 for calculating a correction factor for the biological signal. The memory 165, the display unit 175, the input unit 170, and the communication unit 180 may be further provided. The wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 may also be configured to be wrist-mounted, similar to that shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, but is not limited thereto.

As described above, the posture detecting unit 1500 includes a circuit configuration for measuring the RF response characteristics. The posture detecting unit 1500 detects the RF response (RF response) depending on the relative position between the subject wearing the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 and the antenna in the circuit configuration. The user's posture can be detected from the characteristic. That is, according to the attitude of the user wearing the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000, for example, the specific attitude of the body part worn by the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000, The RF characteristics measured by the RF response measuring circuit can be varied, from which the user's attitude can be detected. Furthermore, when the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 is a device having a wireless communication unit, the RF response measuring circuit can share a part of the circuit configuration of the wireless communication unit, so that a simple circuit configuration for reducing the number of parts can be possible.

Alternatively, the posture detecting unit 1500 may include a body impedance measuring circuit, and may have a configuration for detecting the posture of the user from the body impedance of the body to which the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus 1000 is worn.

The bio-signal measuring unit 1400 may have a configuration for measuring and analyzing a bio-signal related to the blood pressure of the subject. For example, it includes a sensor unit for irradiating light to the radial artery of the subject and detecting light reflected therefrom, and an analysis unit for detecting a PPG (Photoplethysmograph) signal from the detected optical signal and analyzing the blood pressure therefrom can do.

In such a configuration, the relative position between the heart and the detection point, that is, the relative position between the heart and the sensor portion, for example, the position between the heart and the cuff can be changed due to the posture of the subject. The difference in height between the heart and the detection point (e.g., cuff) causes a change in blood pressure due to gravity. This is because the bio-signal waveform to be used for analyzing the blood pressure may vary depending on the relative position between the heart and the detection point. Therefore, it is possible to construct a DB about the RF response information by the various postures such as the angle of the arm or the distance between the body and the arm, and to utilize it as a correction factor for analyzing the blood pressure from the measured bio signal have.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I will understand. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

100, 100 '1000: Wearable biometric information measuring device
110: first input electrode 115: first output electrode
120: second input electrode 125: second output electrode
MB: Body ST: Strap
T1, T2, T3, T4, T5: RF terminal

Claims (26)

A wearable biometric information measuring apparatus comprising:
A bio-signal measuring unit for measuring and analyzing a bio-signal of the subject;
And a posture detection unit that detects the posture of the subject wearing the wearable biometric information measurement device and correspondingly calculates a correction factor for the measured biometric signal. The method according to claim 1,
The posture detecting unit
A wearable biometric information measuring device comprising a circuit configuration for measuring RF response characteristics and detecting a user's attitude from a RF response characteristic that varies depending on a relative position between a subject wearing the wearable device and an antenna in the circuit configuration. 3. The method of claim 2,
And a wireless communication unit,
Wherein the posture detecting unit shares at least a part of circuit elements constituting the wireless communication unit. The method according to claim 1,
The posture detecting unit
And a body impedance measuring circuit to detect the user's posture from the body impedance of the body of the subject wearing the wearable device. The method according to claim 1,
The bio-signal measuring unit
A first input electrode and a first output electrode arranged to be in contact with one wrist of the subject;
A second input electrode and a second output electrode arranged so that a body part of the other wrist of the subject can be contacted;
A measuring unit for applying a current to the first and second input electrodes and measuring a body impedance of the subject by detecting a voltage from the first and second output electrodes;
And an analyzing unit for analyzing the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor calculated by the posture detecting unit to the body impedance measured by the measuring unit. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the posture detecting unit includes:
Wherein the measurement posture detects the degree of bending of both arms of the subject and / or the degree of separation of both arms of the subject from the body. 6. The method of claim 5,
The posture detecting unit
And a circuit configuration for measuring RF response characteristics,
Wherein the measurement attitude of the subject is detected from an RF response characteristic that varies depending on a relative position between the subject and the antenna in the circuit configuration. 8. The method of claim 7,
The RF-
Resonance frequency, resonance bandwidth, reflected wave power, impedance, and antenna received signal strength. 8. The method of claim 7,
The posture detecting unit
The degree of change of the RF response characteristic according to the measurement posture of the subject is digitized and stored data is used,
And compares the measured RF response characteristics with the data to detect a measurement posture of the subject. 10. The method of claim 9,
The posture detecting unit
The correction factor corresponding to the measurement posture of the subject is digitized and stored data is used,
And compares the detected measurement posture with the data to calculate a correction factor. 8. The method of claim 7,
And a wireless communication unit,
Wherein the posture detecting unit shares at least a part of circuit elements constituting the wireless communication unit. 8. The method of claim 7,
The posture detecting unit
Wherein the wearable bio-information measuring device further comprises at least one RF terminal that can be worn on other parts of the body other than the wrist worn by the wearable bio-information measuring device. 8. The method of claim 7,
The antenna
A wearable biometric information measuring device, which is an antenna having a circular or elliptical radiation pattern. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the antenna is configured to adjust the radiation pattern. 8. The method of claim 7,
And an input unit to which at least one of an elongation, a body weight, an age, a sex, and a measurement posture of the subject is input. 16. The method of claim 15,
The posture detecting unit
Receiving input of information about the measurement posture of the subject,
Wherein the correcting element is calculated by comparing the input measurement posture with the data using the stored correction factor in accordance with the measurement posture of the subject. 6. The method of claim 5,
And a display unit for displaying information on a body composition of the subject analyzed by the analysis unit. 6. The method of claim 5,
And a communication unit for transmitting the information on the body composition analyzed by the analysis unit to an external device. The method according to claim 1,
The bio-signal measuring unit
A wearable bio-information measuring device for measuring and analyzing a bio-signal related to a blood pressure of a subject. A method for measuring biometric information using the wearable biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 5,
The subject wears the wearable bio-information measuring device on one wrist and contacts the body parts of the other wrist with the second input electrode and the second output electrode;
Measuring a body impedance of the subject by applying a current to the first and second input electrodes and detecting a voltage from the first and second output electrodes;
Detecting a measurement posture of the subject and calculating a correction factor corresponding thereto;
And analyzing the body composition of the subject by reflecting the correction factor to a body impedance measured by the measurement unit. 21. The method of claim 20,
And checking the contact state of the subject with the first and second input electrodes and the first and second output electrodes of the wearable bio-information measuring device, respectively. 21. The method of claim 20,
The step of measuring the body impedance
And after the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor. 21. The method of claim 20,
After the step of measuring the body impedance,
Wherein the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor is additionally performed. 21. The method of claim 20,
The step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor
Wherein the measurement of the body impedance is performed after the step of measuring the body impedance. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the step of measuring the body impedance and the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor are repeated two or more times, respectively. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the step of measuring the body impedance and the step of detecting the measurement posture of the subject and calculating the correction factor are performed simultaneously.

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